Dear Users

The Picture would have jogged your memory about our discussion on how to handle unused sample tubes in NEO500 and avoid clogging up the queue system.

In reality, the unused/abandoned sample tube problem has been a prevalent one even with the other systems that don’t sport an automation robot (yet !).

After a careful thought process, we are implementing the following policy with unused/abandoned sample tubes in the facility for ALL instruments.  A caveat is added to NEO500 as below.

NEO500

• By Friday of every workweek, the entire sample rack (shown in the picture) that acts as the buffer, will be removed en masse and an empty rack will be placed in its location. 
• As there are 24 slots in the SampleCase Carousel, users who queue up samples on Friday for walk-on runs (max. 1 hour during the day) will have the opportunity to collect their tubes, as soon as they get their email alert.  (Based on our observation, it is seldom that samples queued on Friday tend to clutter up the buffer rack, on the same day)
• As of now, removed samples will be added to a general pool of unused tubes that will be offered for users to take and reuse them, on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Other Systems :

• Orphaned tubes in the respective sample racks will be cleared by Friday and added to the general pool of abandoned tubes, eventually.
• We are not putting a strict time window as of now as to when the cleanup will happen on Friday.  We will make a reasonable effort to schedule this pickup time as later in the day as practically feasible, so that you will still have some time to recover your sample, if it is important.
• But I will advise you to get to your abandoned tube at least by noon on Friday, just to be safe.

NMR Facility Manager

6/23/2023